Automatic latch-opener for buckets



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. O. P. DOLE.

AUTOMATIC LATCH OPENER FOR BUOKETS. No. 484,782. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

Charles Pfiole.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. P. DOLE. AUTOMATIC LATCH (OPENER FOR BUGKETS.

No. 484,782. I Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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O; P. DOLE.

AUTOMATIC LATCH. OPENER FOR BUUKETS.

No. 484,782. Patented Oct. 25, 1892. 1 H r1 ZTCZYZQSSGSI- 7 13 l 07". WM. gzarles fflole,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. DOLE, OF WEST SUPERIOR, \VISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES R. HENEAGE,

OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC LATCH-OPENER FOR BUCKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 484,782, dated October 25, 1892.

Application filed June 22, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES I. DOLE, of West Superior, Douglas county, Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Latch-Openers for Coal-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the hoisting-buckets for handling coal, ore, and similar materials, its object being to provide automatic means for tripping the latches of the bucket to permit it to dump its contents at any desired point or position along its path of travel from the place of loading.

To this end my invention consists in arranging a cable or a rope carried over suitable sheaves and depending in a loop adjacent to the bucket or across its path at the point of stopping to descend and having at tached to its depending ends small weights for taking up the slack of the rope and heavier weights at a distance from the small weights,

which exert sufficient tension on the ropev when lifted to trip the latches of the bucket, as hereinafter described. The light weights are attached at such points that the loop is held in proper position, while the heavy weights are not lifted till the loop is drawn down to the point where the bucket is to be dumped. I also provide upon the bail of the bucket a pivoted dog, which is arranged to engage arms upon the latches of the bucket and to turn the latches to release the bucket, the dog being provided with a fork or catch so arranged as to engage the rope stretched across its path and carry the loop of the rope downward in its descent, thereby lifting the heavy weights attached to the rope, which in turn exert sufficient tension upon the rope to turn the dog and operate the latches, thus releasing the bucket and allowing it to turn on its gudgeons and dump its contents.

My invention further consists in the construction and combination hereinafter de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hoisting-bucket fitted with my improved attachment; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the bridge and tramway which support the Serial No. 397,022. (No model.)

bucket-carrier, showing the arrangement of the tripping-rope and other attachments; and Fig. 4 is a cross section of the bridge, showing the position of the bucket and its attachments at the moment of dumping.

In the drawings, 2 represents a bucket of ordinary type provided with the front and rear rolls or casters 4 and 6.

8 is the bail of the bucket on which the bucket is supported by the gudgeons 10. PIV- oted in the ordinary manner in the bail are the latches 12, having catches 14 which engage sockets in the sides of the bucketin the ordinary manner. The latches are provided with downwardly-projecting arms 16, whlch meet underneath the bail. Pivoted in the yoke 18'underneath the bail and above the arm 16 is the dog 20, adapted when turned downward to strike upon the arms 16 and depress them sufficiently to throw the catches 14 out of engagement with the bucket. Secured to the pivot 22 of the dog on either side of the bail, as preferred, is the fork or catch 24, which has'a spread between its tines or prongs, preferably of ten or twelve inches, the spring 25 tending to hold it in its downward position and the dog out of engagement with the arms.

Supported underneath the framework of the bridge A is the carrier-tramway B, made up of parallel timbers or rails 26, upon which the bucket-carrier 28 is adapted to run. Adapted to be secured at any desired point along the tramway is the stop 30, against which the carrier in its course strikes and is stopped, a suitable dog or catch 32 automatically engaging with the carrier and holding it from return movement in the common manner. Adjustably secured upon the rails are downwardly-extending arms 34, each terminating in an eye 36 and stayed by braces 37, attached to the stop. Sheaves 38 are arranged along the timbers of the bridge above and on each side of the tramway B. Running over the sheaves 38 on one side of the bridge, thence downward through the eyes 36, and back over the sheaves 38 on the other side of the bridge is the rope 40, provided at each depending end with a large weight 42. and a small weight 44, intermediate of the large Weight and the bridge. The small weights are held suspended to keep the rope under tension, while the large weights are attached to the ropes at such points that they are not lifted until the loop of the rope is drawn downward in the manner hereinafter described to the desired elevation at which the bucket is to be dumped. The eyes 36 of the stop are in such position that when the bucket-carrier has reached the stop and the bucket descends when released the fork or catch 24: will engage the loop of the rope.

The operation is as follows: The stop is set at the point on the tramway to which it is desired to stop the bucket with its load, the arms 34 being secured a little back of the stop, as shown. The light weights are so connected to the rope that its slack is taken up and the heavy weights attached at such points as to be lifted when the loop has been drawn downto the point for dumping the bucket. When the carrier, with its loaded bucket, is drawn up the tramway, it strikes against and is held by the stop and the bucket is released and allowed to drop in the ordinary manner. The fork strikes upon and engages the loop of the rope and carries it downward with it, lifting the small weights until the bucket has descended to the point at which it is desired to unload it, when the heavy weights are lifted'by the pull of the fork upon the rope. The tension upon the rope caused by the heavy weights serves to turn the dog to operate the latches and throw their catches out of engagement with the bucket,when the bucket is free to turn and dump its contents. The bucket being drawn backward again to its carrier, the light weights upon the rope take up the slack and leave the rope in position to be engaged by the next loaded bucket, when the same operation is repeated. By the use of the weights to apply tension to the rope there is no danger of breaking the apparatus, as would be the case with a fixed unyielding stop. By means of the brace connections between the arms 34 and the stop their eyes and the rope held by them are shifted by any displacement of the stop from the blow of the carrier and held in proper position relative to the stop.

I claim- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination, with the bucket, of a rope loop suspended across the path of the bucket at or near its terminus, adjustable tension devices for said rope, the latches upon said bucket, and a latch-tripping mechanism carried by said bucket, adapted to engage said rope loop as the bucket descends and to be actuated by the tension of the rope to trip said latches at a predetermined point in the descent of the bucket, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a hoisting-bucket, of a depending rope loop adjacent thereto, weights upon the depending ends of said rope, and devices upon said bucket for tripping its latches, adapted to engage said loop as the bucket descends and to be operated by the tension of said rope caused by said weights, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the hoistingbucket having a latch-tripping device attached thereto, of a rope running over sheaves and depending in a loop adjacent thereto, weights attached to the depending ends of said rope, and means connected to the latchtripping device for engaging said loop with the descent of the bucket, whereby the said weights serve to operate said device, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with a hoisting-bucket having a latch-tripping mechanism, of a rope running over a sheave and depending in a loop adjacent to said bucket, counterbalancing-weights carried by the depending ends of said rope, other weights attached to said depending ends at such points that they will be lifted when said loop has been drawn downward a predetermined distance, and means connected to said tripping mechanism for engaging said rope and operating said mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination, with the hoisting-bucket, its carriage and carriage-tramway, and the stop for said carriage adjustable along said tramway, of sheaves supported on either side of said tramway adjacent to said stop, a rope running over said sheaves and depending in a loop beneath said tramway, counterbalancingweights secured to the depending ends of said rope, other weights connected to said depending ends at a distance from said counterbalancing-weights, and a latch-trippin g mechanism carried by said bucket, adapted to engage said loop as the bucket descends and to be operated by the tension of said second weights upon said loop, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with the bucket, its carriage, carriage-tramway, and adjustable carriage-stop, of a rope depending in a loop adjacent to said stop and beneath said tramway, guides for said rope adjustable along said tramway, a latch-tripping mechanism carried by said bucket and adapted to engage said loop, and means for automatically applying tension to said rope to operate said latch-tripping mechanism when said loop has been drawn downward a predetermined dis tance, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination, with a hoisting-bucket and the latch-tripping mechanism attached thereto, of a rope loop pendent adjacent to said bucket adapted to be engaged by said tripping devices, and means for applying tension to said rope to operate said tripping mechanism when the bucket has descended to a predetermined point, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with the bucket, it's carriage, the tramway, and the adjustable crate said tripping mechanism when the stop, of the rope running over suitable supbucket has descended to a predetermined ports and depending in a loop beneath said point, substantially as and for the purposes tramway and adjacent to said stop, guides for set forth.

5 said rope connected to said stop and adj ust- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 able along said tramway, a latch-tripping demy hand this 10th day of June, 1891.

Vice carried by said bucket and adapted to OHARLESP. DOLE. engage said loop, and tripping-weights con- In presence of nected to the depending ends of said rope, T. D. MERWIN,

:0 whereby tension is applied'to said rope to 0p- A. MAE WELCH. 

